The genus Tropidurus (from the Tropidurae family) consists of predominantly open-habitat heliophilus lizard species, which are usually quite abundant in southern South America. Tropidurus torquatus ranges from central and southeastern Brasil to northern Uruguay in the Artigas, Tacuarembó, and Rivera Departments. It is a medium-sized lizard with strongly imbricate scales (having regularly arranged, overlapping edges), a fold with two shallow mite bags on both sides of the neck, and a wide and robust head. Adult males have colored patches varying from yellow to yellow-and-black, and black on the abdomen, ventral zone of the thighs, and the pre-cloacal flap. Adult females lack ventral colored patches. During growth there is a gradual darkening of the patches, but no modification either in patch size or color is associated with the reproductive cycle. Another sexually dimorphic feature of this species is that adult males have wider heads and thinner bodies than females of the same body size. Both grow at the same rate prior to sexual maturity, but males take longer to reach it, maturing at a larger body size than females. Little is known about the diet of Tropidurus torquatus. Most dietary information is based on small samples and not on a volumetric basis. Preliminary data from herpertologists (Fialho, 1990) indicate that this reptile's food is predominantly made up of plant material during the summer and arthropods during the winter. Juveniles, on the other hand, tend to eat less plants than adults.

Jun 29, 2009

Pavonia is a plant genus in the family Malvaceae that contains around 270 species, of which around 220 are found in the tropics and subtropics of the American continent. The remaining species are almost all concentrated in Africa, although 2 species are reported to be native to Asia. Together with hibiscus, Pavonia is the genus in the Mallow family which has the largest number of species. Pavonia hastata is indigenous of South America and is particularly abundant in Uruguay. It is of the few Pavonias that has been used as an ornamental throughout the world. It is a small perennial shrub up to around 1 m tall, with simple, alternate, triangular-lanceolate leaves, 3,6 cm long. During its flowering season, which extends mainly from end of spring through summer and autumn in subtropical areas, it bears numerous white or pinkish hibiscus-like flowers with a dark crimson spot in the center. They are around 5 cm and last one day only, but are quickly replaced by others, so the plant will usually have many flowers at the same time. In early spring it will form buds but these usually will not open, although seed setting will follow. This is a phenomenon known as "cleistogamy", which is probably an adaptation to unfavorable environmental conditions. However, buds will become blooms in early summer. The fruit is not a pod like those of hibiscus and other relatives: it is divided in five segments with exactly one seed each. The style is another difference between Pavonia and Hibiscus species: while plants in the genus Hibiscus always have the style divided in 5, Pavonia species have twice as many stigmas. Pavonia hastata prefers light loams and sunny open areas, and is influenced by water run-off. It may be quite numerous along areas such as gullies and on roadsides. Although it responds well in conditions of good soil and water run-off, it does not need a lot of water to grow, but again if too stressed the blooms won't open. It is frost-hardy to -7ºC, although sufficient heat is necessary for the blooms to open. Pavonia es un género de plantas de la familia de las Malváceas, contienendo alrededor de 270 especies y de las cuales alrededor de 220 se encuentran en los trópicos y subtrópicos del continente Americano. El resto de las especies están casi todas concentradas en África; pese a que se ha reportado que 2 especies son nativas de Asia. Junto con los Hibiscos, Pavonia es el género de la familia de la Malva que tiene el mayor número de especies. Hastata es indígena de Sudamérica, siendo particularmente abundante en Uruguay. Es una de las pocas Pavonias que ha sido cultivada con fines ornamentales alrededor del mundo. Se trata de un arbusto perenne de alrededor de 1 m de alto, con hojas simples, alternadas, triangulo-lanceoladas, de unos 3,6 cm de largo. Durante el período de floración - el cual se extiende principalmente desde el final de la primavera hasta el verano y otoño en las regiones subtropicales - produce numerosos pimpollos blancos o rosados, similares a la flor de hibisco; con una mancha carmesí en el centro. Miden casi 5 cm y duran un solo día pero son rápidamente reemplazadas por otras flores, por lo que la planta cuenta con muchas de ellas al mismo tiempo. A comienzos de la primavera formarán capullos pero éstos no se abrirán, pese a que la producción de semilla ocurre en el interior de los mismos. Este fenómeno conocido como "cleistogamia" es posiblemente una adaptación a condiciones medioambientales que le pueden ser desfavorables. No obstante, definitavamente abren a principios del verano. El fruto no es una vaina como la de los hibiscos y otros parientes cercanos sino que está dividida en 5 segmentos con una semilla cada uno. El estilo es también otra diferencia con el género Hibiscus: mientras que en este último lo tienen dividido en 5 partes, en Pavonia existen el doble de estigmas. Pavonia hastata prefiere suelos arcillosos sueltos y zonas soleadas abiertas; inclinándose por donde exista drenaje de agua. Puede ser bastante próspera en barrancos y banquinas. Y pese a que responde bien a estas condiciones de agua y suelo, no necesariamente necesita de la primera en demasía. De hecho, si se la estresa demasiado no producirá flores. Es resistente a las heladas y las bajas temperaturas (hasta -7ºC), pero precisa de suficiente calor para abrir sus típicos capullos.

Jun 28, 2009

Oenothera is a genus of about 125 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous flowering plants, native to North and South America. It is the type genus of the family Onagraceae. Oenothera mollisima is an annual herb, around 100 cm high which grows in Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and most eastern South America. Its stems are rather woody, often branched, and softly hairy. The Leaves are basal or alternate, narrow-lanceolate to elliptic shaped, usually 3–5 cm long, 4–10 mm wide with an acute apex, regular margins and shallow teeth. Flowers usually bloom in February, March, April, May, November; opening in the evening and fading the next morning. They are solitary arranged in the upper leaf axils. They have four petals which are 10–20 mm long, yellow and often become reddish with age. One of the most distinctive features of this genus is the stigma with four branches, forming an "X" shape. Pollination is achieved by Lepidoptera (moths) and bees. Like many members of the Onagraceae, however, the pollen grains are loosely held together by viscin threads, meaning that only bees that are morphologically specialized to gather this pollen can effectively pollinate the flowers. Furthermore, the flowers are open at a time when most bee species are inactive, so the bees which visit Oenothera are also compelled to be vespertine temporal specialists. The plant eventually yields a dehiscent fruit, a capsule (cylindric, often curved, hairy), non-fleshy, 11–30 mm long, 3.5–6 mm wide with numerous seeds. In the wild, Oenothera mollisima acts as a primary colonizer, quickly appearing wherever a patch of bare, undisturbed ground may be found. This implies that it tends to be found in poorer environments such as dunes, roadsides, railway embankments and wasteland.

Marcela is a medium-sized aromatic annual herb that grows up to 1-1/2 m high. It produces small white flowers with yellow centers and serrated green leaves. It is indigenous to much of tropical South America including Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, and Venezuela. It often springs up on disturbed soils and some consider it a weed. Marcela has been employed in herbal medicine for many years. Using the entire plant or just its flowers, a tea is prepared with 5 g of dried herb to 1 liter of boiling water. This infusion is a natural remedy for nervous colic, epilepsy, nausea, and gastric problems. It is also an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, menstrual promoter, sedative, and analgesic for gastric disturbances, liver problems, diarrhea, and dysentery. This same infusion (or a slightly stronger one) is used externally for rheumatism, neuralgia, sore muscles, and even menstrual pain. In some parts of the subcontinent the flowers are crushed and added to pillows as a natural sleeping aid. In Uruguay, 20 g of fresh flowers are infused in 1 liter of hot water and taken to help regulate menstruation and for asthma; also as an aid for digestion and diabetes. Marcela has been the subject of western research and many of its long-time uses in herbal medicine have been validated by scientists. In animal studies with mice and rats, macela demonstrated pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and smooth-muscle (gastrointestinal) relaxant properties internally without toxicity, in addition to anti-inflammatory and pain-relief actions externally. In vitro studies have demonstrated that marcela is molluscicidal (in a test used to ascertain its effectiveness against the tropical disease schistosomiasis), and active against Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus. It also has shown to be a strong antioxidant, to increases the flow of bile from the gallbladder, to help protect against liver damage and lower liver enzymes levels.

Jun 24, 2009

Myrsine is a genus of flowering plants, the nominate genus of the family Myrsinaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. Within the family 33 genera are recognized with about 1225 species. The family can be identied by the presence of leathery, evergreen leaves which are simple, alternate and with smooth margins and no stipules. The one-seeded, indehiscent fruit is a thin-fleshed globose drupe. The fruits often do not mature until the year after flowering. Myrsine laetevirens is a neotropical dioic tree which grows in the forests of Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. It is 8 m tall with spherical canopy and persistent, dark foliage made up of simple leafs. These are 6-8 cm long, alternate, spatulate or ovoid-elliptical, dark on the upper side and lighter underside. Its flowers are small, yellowish and distributed in short cymes (branched inflorescences in which the central flower on the main stem opens before the side flower). This species propagates from seeds in compost in shade.

Jun 12, 2009

The Chalk-browed Mockingbird is a bird found in Uruguay, most of Brazil, and parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Suriname. It's a bird of open wooded areas, including urban and suburban gardens. It feeds on fruits, insects caught on the ground and small vertebrates. Sometimes it preys on other bird’s eggs. It has a large range (around 7,200,000 km²), and although its population has not been thoroughly surveyed, it is believed to be large as it is reported as "common" in parts of its range. The nest is built about 1,5m from the ground on a small tree or scrub. The external part is made of thick branches and the interior of thin roots and grass. It may have up to four broods a year, each one with up to five eggs. Other members of the family may help raising the hatchlings. Chalk-browed Mockingbirds are very aggressive to other species of birds that come close to the nest or feeding sites. In Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul they have an elaborate song, but in other places the song is simpler. Many mock other bird’s songs such as the kestrel (Falco sparverius). Some populations migrate during the cold season.

The Green-barred Woodpecker is a species in the Picidae family. The scientific name melanochloros derives from the Greek melanos, meaning "black", and chloros, "pale green", the principal colors of this bird. It is found in east and central South America from north east Brazil to Bolivia, central Argentina and Uruguay. It feeds mainly on ants but also catches spiders and eats fruits and berries. The male has a red malar (the cheek, defined in birds as the area in front of, and slightly below the eye) while the female has a black malar. Both sexes are pale green with white on the sides of the head and red on the crown and nape while the forecrown is black. The upperparts are barred black while the underparts have black, heart-shaped spots. When not in a typical woodpecker pose, this bird sometimes perches on horizontal branches and moves about a bit ike a jay.

Jun 9, 2009

The native range of this flightless bird is the eastern part of South America. It is not only the largest species of the genus Rhea but also the largest American bird alive. Adults have an average weight of 20–27 kg and 129 cm long from beak to tail; they usually stand about 1.50 m tall. The males are generally bigger than the females. Males can weigh up to 40 kilograms. The legs are long and strong, and have three toes. The wings of the American Rhea are rather large; the birds use them during running to maintain balance in tight turns. The feathers are gray or brown, with high individual variation, In general, males are darker than females. Even in the wild leucistic individuals (with white body plumage and blue eyes) as well as albinos occur. Concerning its eating habits, the bulk of its food consists of broad-leaved dicot foilage and other plantstuffs, particularly seed and fruit when in season. Favorite food plants include native and introduced species from all sorts of dicot families, such as Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Bignoniaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Myrtaceaeor Solanaceae. They do not usually eat cereal grains, or monocots in general. However, the leaves of particular grass species like Brachiaria brizantha can be eaten in large quantities, and Liliaceae (e.g. the sarsaparilla Smilax brasiliensis) have also been recorded as foodplants. Even tough and spiny vegetable matter like tubers or thistles is eaten with relish. Like many birds which feed on tough plant matter, the Greater Rhea swallows pebbles which help grind down the food for easy digestion. It is much attracted to sparkling objects and sometimes accidentially swallows metallic or glossy objects. Greater Rheas breed in the warmer months, between September and January depending on the climate. Males are simultaneously polygynous, females are serially polyandrous. In practice, this means that the females move around during breeding season, mating with a male and depositing their eggs with the male before leaving him and mating with another male. Males on the other hand are sedentary, attending the nests and taking care of incubation and the hatchlings all on their own. Even recent evidence suggests that dominant males may enlist a subordinate male to roost for him while he starts a second nest with a second harem. The nests are thus collectively used by several females and can contain as many as 80 eggs laid by a dozen females; each individual female's clutch numbers some 5-10 eggs. However, the average clutch size is 26 with 7 different females eggs. Rhea eggs measure about 130 mm × 90 mm and weigh 600 g on average; they are thus less than half the size of an ostrich egg. Their shell is greenish-yellow when fresh but soon fades to dull cream when exposed to light. The nest is a simple shallow and wide scrape in a hidden location The incubation period is 29-43 days. All the eggs hatch within 36 hours of each other even though the eggs in one nest were laid perhaps as much as two weeks apart. As it seems, when the first young are ready to hatch they start a call resembling a pop-bottle rocket, even while still inside the egg, thus the hatching time is coordinated. Greater Rheas are sexually mature by their 14th month. The Greater Rhea is considered a Near Threatened species according to the IUCN. The species is believed to be declining but it is still reasonably plentiful across its wide range, which is about 6,540,000 km2. The major factors in its decline is ranching and farming. The populations of Argentina and Uruguay are most seriously affected by the decline, in the former country mostly due to the adverse impact of agriculture, in the latter mostly due to overhunting in the late 20th century.

Why bilingual? For starters, Spanish is my native tongue. Secondly, English is still the universal language and the blog is meant to be accessible for anyone on the globe who is into Nature conservancy; particularly in getting to know Uruguay's flora and fauna.

"Hunting is merely a cowardly circumlocution for the cowardy murder of fellow creatures who do not have a chance. Hunting is a variant of human mental illness" Theodore Heuss (First president of the Republic of Germany; 1884-1963)

"When I was twelve, I went hunting with my father and we shot a bird. He was laying there and something struck me. Why do we call this fun to kill this creature who was as happy as I was when I woke up this morning?" (American and Canadian football coach, 1925-)

"May I walk unceasingly on the banks of my river, may my soul repose on the branches of the trees which I planted, and may I may refresh myself under the shadow of my sycamore tree".Egyptian tomb inscription, circa 1400 AD

"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, other animals and the trees."Chief Edward Moody, Qwatsinas, Nuxalk Nation

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were... Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee".John Donne, English Metaphysical poet (1572 - 1631)